Improvement in horse-rakes



'C are'fastened. .the shafts are two main frame-pieces, D D',

UNITED STATES PATENT. 0FFIcn\ `H. A. STREETER, OF WORCESTER,MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO J. P.

4 STREETER 8v BROTHER.

j IMPROVEMENT IN HORSE-RAKES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 89,808, dated May 4,1869.

description, reference being had to the accompanyin g drawings, forminga part of this speciiication, in which- Figure 1 represents a planort-op view of my improved horse hay-rake, the shafts being shown brokenoff. Fig. 2 represents asection on line A B, Fig. 1, the gearing devicebeing sho wn in the position which it occupies j ust after beingthrownin gearfor raising the teeth, which are shown partially elevated; andFig. 3 represents a section on line O D, Fig. 1, as will be hereafterexplained.

To enable those skilled in the art to which `rny invention belongs tomake and use the same, I will describe itinore indetail.

The nature of my invention consists, first, in the combination, with theaxle, rakefhead, and clearer-ringer bar, of curved metallic bearing-arms for supporting the head and clearerlinger bar, as will behereafter explained;

second, in the relative arrangement, with the; main frame andsupporting-wheels, of the` drivers seat, clearer-finger bar,clearer-flu-I gers, rake-head, rake-teeth, and mechanism for operatingthe rake-head, as shown in the drawings, and hereafter explained; third,in the peculiar devices for throwing the teeth- .lifting mechanism inand out of gear, as will be hereafter explained.

In the drawings, A A' are two main supporting-wheels, tted to run uponthe main axle B, to which the rearends of the shafts G Outside of therear ends of the rear ends of said pieces being fastened in recesses orgains cut in the top side of the axle,while their front ends arefastened to the .under side of the main cross-piece E, which,

The arms G extend back horizontally a short distance, then down and upagain, forming curved bearin gs 1 1, for supporting the rakehead H, towhich are secured the rake-teeth H by means of the metalconnecting-pieces I, the upper ends of the teeth being bent to fit thecorner of the head, and also theI recesses in the undersides of themetal caps I. The coils I' give the teeth the necessary elasticity.

The metal arms G extend back of the curved bearings 1, to forni theright-angle supports 2 for the clearer-finger bar J, which is fastenedthereto for supporting the rear projecting stationary clearer-fin gersJ'.

The right-angle supports 2 may be made separate from the metal arms G,and afterward fastened thereto, or both may be made from the same pieceof metal, as may be preferred. 1

Combined with or secured to wheel A' is a gear, K, provided with teeth3, to operate gear K', fastened to the outer end of shaft L, the innerend of which is supported in a forked bearing-piece, L', while its outerend is tted to work in a slot in the stand-piece M, as indicated in thedrawings.

To the inner face of 'gear K is secured a circular disk or flange, N,the inner surface of said iiange being concentric with shaft L, buthaving two recesses, 4L 4, upon opposite sides, as shown iu Figs. 2 and3. From the outer side of stand M projects a pin, 5, which extends inunder flange N, as shown in dotted lines, Fig. 1.

One end of a iiat spring, 6, is fastened to said pin by aloop-connection, while the other end of said spring is bent up in hookform and clasped upon the inner side of shaft L, the tendency of thespring being to force the outer end of shaft L, to which is secured gearK', forward, for a purpose hereafter explained. One end of a shortshaft, O, is journaled lin the upper fork, 7, of stand M, while theother end is journaled in a bearing-piece, 8, fastened to the upper sideof the shaft O on that side. Shaft O is provided with a treadle-arm, 9,which projects forward over shaft L, and is bent in to form a convenientfoot-piece, 10. Shaft O is also provided with a fork, 11, the tines ofwhich straddle shaft L, as clearly indicated in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

To the inner end of shaft L is secured the crank-arm P, which, in turn,is coupled, by means of the connecting-rod Q, to the stand or arm It,fastened to the rake-head H, the upper end of stand B being providedwith a series of holes, 1 2, whereby the position of head H can beadjusted to support the teeth H at any required distance above theground during the operation of raking and gathering the hay.

The rear end of spring-brace F is supported by a stand, S, fastened tothe axle B. A slot is cut in the rear part of brace F', whereby seat Fcan be moved forward and back to adjust it to the proper height to suitthe driver, the seat being held in its adjusted position by thelever-nut 13, which screws upon the lower end of a screw-bolt whichpasses down through the stand part T of seat F.

Iins 14 may be passed through the metal bearing-pieces G into axle B,for holding the rake-head from rising up. (See Fig. 2.)

As the action of spring 5 tends to force the outer end of shaft Lforward, gear K will be kept out of gear with gear K, when one of therecesses 4 fits the end of pin 5, unless forced back by treadle 9 actingon shaft L; and when said gear is forced back and retained in gear untilange N has moved to pass said recess 4 by the end of pin 5, said gearwill be retained in mesh until ange N is turned to bring the otherrecess 4 opposite pin 5, when spring 6 will throw the end of shaft L,gear K, and flange N forward and out of gear, and the rake-head willremain locked in such position, whether elevated or depressed, as thecase may be, until foot-treadle 9 is operated again to t-hrow gear K inmesh with gear K, as before explained. It will thus be seen that wheneither of the recesses 4 ts upon the end of pin 5, gear K is out ofmesh, and the rake-head remains locked in a stationary position, andthat the arrangement of the parts is such that such locking takes placewhen the teeth-are depressed to the proper point for gathering the hay,and also again when the head has been turned to raise the teethsufficiently to discharge the raked hay therefrom.

The operation is as follows: Assuming that the teeth are down, the headlocked, as before explained, and a sufficient quantity of hay gatheredto form a windrow, the driver, while sitting on the seat F, places hisfoot on treadlepiece 10 and depresses treadle 9, thereby caus- Y ingfork l1 to be depressed, so as to move the outer end of shaft L backsufciently to throw gear K into mesh with gear K, when flange N will bemoved and the recess 4 will pass the end of pin 5, after which gear K.will remain in mesh without any further attention on the part of thedriver, and the rake-head H will be revolved, by means of shaft L, crankP, and connecting-rod Q, until the next recess 4 in iiange N comesopposite pin 5, when gear K' will be thrown out of mesh, and the head Hwill be locked with the teeth in a sufcientlyelevated position to passthe windrow or gathered hay. As soon as the windrow is passed the driverdepresses treadle 9, and gear K' is thrown into mesh again, when therake head will be turned back until the teeth are de pressedsufficiently to commence the raking operation, and at which time saidhead will be locked by the next recess 4 tting pin 5, as beforeexplained.

From the foregoing it will be seen that my improved rake is well adaptedfor use even by a mere lad, since the parts are so arranged as to beoperated easily by the driver with the expenditure of but littlephysical force.

By the use of the curved bearing-pieces G G for supporting therake-head, and the pins 14 for retaining it in place, the head can bedetached from the other parts of the rake in a very neat manner fortransportation, storage, or for repairing the teeth.

I have been prompted to lmake my said improvements in horse -hay-rakesfrom the fact that I have heretofore purchased an exclusive territorialright to manufacture, sell, and use the hay-rake patented by J. C.Stoddard, of this city, and from practical experience have found thatcertain changes and improvements in said rake were necessary in order tomeet the demands and requirements of farmers.

Having described myimprovements in horse hay-rakes, what I claim thereinas new and of my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with the axle, rakehead, and clearer-iin ger bar, ofthe curved metallic bearing-arms G G, which carry the rake head,finger-bar, and clearing-fingers, when said arms are constructed with anopen bearing for the rake-head anda support for the clearer-iin ger bar,and are held to the axle, so as to project from the rear of the same, inthe manner shown and described.

2. The arrangement, in connection with the shaft L, of the rotatingshaft 0 and treadle and fork which it carries, and .the spring 6 and pin5, as and for the purposes shown and described.

3. The combination and relative arrangement, with the main fra-me andsupportingwheels, of the drivers seat F, rake-head H, curved metallicarms G G, clearer-finger bar J, shafts'O and L, treadles 9 10, and fork11, said parts being constructed and arranged, with relation to eachother, as and for the purposes set forth.

4. The combination, with shaftL and pin 5, of spring 6, made in the formand applied in the manner described, and shown in the drawings.

H. A. STREETER.

Witnesses THos. H. DODGE, D. L. MILLER.

